A fun visit to an Oddsocks' rehearsal in Derby!

Today I was tremendously privileged to attend a rehearsal of 'Much Ado About Nothing'. It wasn't at the RSC. It wasn't at the National Theatre. It wasn't at The Globe nor Regent's Park. It didn't include bowing to Kenneth Branagh, Sir Kenneth Branagh,  or … or … those other noisy ones. It was much much better than that! Much better!  Much much better!! It was with the Oddsocks Theatre Company!!! (Expecting a super loud cheer now).

Their young producer Hope Ward-Brown took me into the hallowed rehearsal space on Green Lane, gave me a coffee and the cast and director welcomed me by name and with broad smiles (I checked my flies) and - bourbon biscuits languorously lathered with organic peanut butter. Yummy! It doesn't get better than that! It really doesn't. Forget your fancy welcoming buffet crudités and your false bonhomie of Londres. This is a real Derby welcome, duck, from a professional theatre company who take life from the fun side and make it even sunnier and funnier.

 

 

 

Throughout the two hours I stayed I listened with great interest as director Andy Barrow steered the cast members through their scenes and took on their suggestions as to how it might work 'Oddsocks style' and concurred with many of the performers' ideas. This is touring Shakespearian comedy brought up to date that will be performed with the emphasis on collaboration and most importantly a liberated sense of fun, musicality, grassy expanses and the occasional cosy indoor theatre.

"I can readeth my lines with mine eyes closed. Thank you. "

This is what the many admirers of Oddsocks enjoy so much when they tour: the honest connection with the original text (albeit cut ever so slightly), the energy of the performers clearly enjoying what they are doing, the inherent professionalism and their abiding love of entertainment.

Often the most entertaining values for an audience are those realised when the cast double or even treble up their roles. In Oddsock's 'Much Ado' and 'Twelfth Night' I learnt that we will have the pleasure of seeing director/actor Andy Barrow as Leonato & Malvolio, the versatile Kevin Kemp as Benedick & Toby Belch, the triple talented Rebecca Little as (drum roll) Beatrice, Maria & Viola, and the beautiful Ukulele proficient Lucy Varney as Hero & Olivia.

There's more folks. The many talented and handsome Gavin Harrison will be Don John/Don Pedro/Orsino and Andrew Aguecheek) and the lovely Peter Hoggart will impress as Claudio/Feste/Sebastian. All will be playing musical instruments in each show!  (Big round of applause for everyone please!)

I for one, and one for all, (different play Phil) will be looking forward to Oddsocks' tour this Summer where the bold, challenging and decidedly interactive company will be No Holds Bard (copyright Phil Lowe 2015)  with 'Much Ado About Nothing' and 'Twelfth Night' Check out the tour schedule HERETH.

Thanks for the invite Oddsocks  I hope that I have done you proud. Phil

Derby Theatre promo video. Inspirational!

Just take five minutes and watch this inspirational video for Derby Theatre. This is a modern forward thinking regional theatre that really engages with the community and promotes theatre and learning like no other.

I am so proud to come from a city that has such a wonderful inclusive theatre at its heart and to have been given opportunities to celebrate its successes through my reviews and interviews and chances to be able to observe professional rehearsals.

Phil Lowe

Site Specific Sunday - two events from the DEparture Lounge programme.

As part of Site Specific Sunday and Derby Theatre's collaboration with In Good Company towards DEparture Lounge I participated in two unusual events. Both involved sitting down.

A groups of artists and theatre makers called Quarantine presented an event called Table Manners where they invited participants for a meal in exchange for a conversation. The brochure described the experience as an intimate and temporary encounter between two strangers who, in other circumstances might never meet. It was about the familiarity of sharing food together and the art of conversation.

I must learn to read brochures better as I assumed that there would be a table full of people not just one other person. I was met at the door of The Book Café on the Cornmarket in Derby and my food order was taken. I went for the pastrami dish.

Then I was introduced to Renny from Quarantine and sat opposite her. I'm a confident person and looked forward to conversing with this lady. She explained to me about the company and how they hold the same events regularly in Manchester but it tends to be in an Indian restaurant with buffet style food. The topics for the conversation were printed on a 'menu' so we chose our starter topic, our main topic and our dessert topic.

It is nearly a week ago now since this encounter so I can't remember specifics about the conversations but I do remember explaining about my proposed theatre event that I am taking to Germany in December after choosing the option 'what are you part way through?' from the menu. We also spoke about the sea and seaside resorts and I felt (but didn't say) that the encounter was almost like a first date - each person being on their best behaviour and recognising traits within the other that indicate they get on well. I was enjoying Renny's company so much and the opportunity to chat with an intelligent woman over some pleasant food that we over ran our half hour slot (again I didn't read the aspect of the brochure that said the longevity of the slot) and we must have talked for nearly an hour.

The whole experience was very interesting, intelligent, fun and pleasant. Thank you Quarantine and Renny O'Shea.

The second experience was Michael Pinchbeck's Sit with me for a Moment and Remember. This was on a bench on Derby's market square and opposite The Quad - a modern cinema and arts centre. The bench was a wooden one that isn't normally in the position that it was situated. The DEparture Lounge brochure described the site specific experience thus: A bench with a plaque reading ' sit with me for a moment and remember' is placed in a public space. It is both a dedication to a loved one and an invitation to a stranger. You are invited to sit on the bench and listen to a recording that reflects on what it means to sit and remember.

When I arrived to take part there was already someone participating so I went away and came back ten minutes later. I was given a set of head phones and I sat and listened to a soft and warm female voice talking to me as a stranger about contemplation and taking time out to sit and think. The subject, with some instructions to follow, also changed slightly to refer to another - the woman. Part way through I was advised to look to my left. Near to me on the previously empty bench was a young woman smiling and looking forward. It was like she had manifested herself there as a memory made real. The audio continued with instructions to close my eyes and count to ten. I did this in my head. In a sense I didn't want to spoil the mood by talking aloud. The woman's hand then gently rested on mine after I was aurally instructed to put my left hand on the bench. Her hand remained there for a few seconds and then disappeared. During this time I had my eyes closed as instructed and then opened them. The woman on the bench had vanished. During this part of the encounter I had heard contemplations of a relationship that had finished but without remorse. The declarations had a poetic feel to them and inspired some new thinking in me towards my stage writing.

I found the whole experience very relaxing and also quite moving because of the subjects and the warm caring voice that spoke to me through the headphones. I never asked the question but since then I have wondered if female participants have a male voice and a man sitting by them on the bench temporarily.

As the world tipped - a fantastic opener the the Derby Festé

I have chosen this short video from the Facebook page of Wired Aerial Theatre to give a flavour of this truly fantastic outdoor bungee assisted performance art extravaganza. I saw it  performed in Derby last night as the opening act in Derby's amazing Live Arts festival that continues over the weekend. A capacity audience stood aghast as the actor/dancers reacted through stunning movement on the 12mm square stage tipping from a level position to an upright position. You need a real head for heights to perform in this one! Stunning concept, application, visuals and movement to a dramatic and moving soundtrack.

'The piece is about how governments fail to come to grips with climate change and the world slides, literally towards catastrophe. Conceived as a real life disaster movie in the sky, this production delivers one breath-taking image after another.'  Festé  brochure.

The festival continues over this weekend with music on the Music Stage in the Old Market Square with artists such as Hudson Super Fix, Jamie Joseph Band, Riptide and Alex Blood & The Diggers. At various venues throughout the city visitors will be delighted and entertained by Bread and Butter Theatre, Upswing Theatre - Red Shoes (circus), the hilarious and talented Maison Foo - Tea Tent, street performers Reckless Invention - Turbo and Dai and Wrong Size - The Dragons (inspired by the Gaudi sculptures of Barcelona). The 2 Men - wardens will be let loose on the streets of Derby amusing people by enforcing ridiculous laws around the city such as breathing too loudly or wearing a loud shirt in a built up area!

Derby Independent Theatre Network will be presenting their A Very British Exhibition around the historic Derby areas such as St Peter's Quarter and the beautiful Cathedral Quarter.

On Saturday evening there will be a Bollywood Party with Charity Shop DJ and Surtal Arts all kicked off by Flame Oz - high energy entertainment with a choreographed fire dance.

                                                       Still from White Wings (Holland)

And that's not all! The festival also includes C12- Trolleys - a stunning dance piece involving supermarket trolleys, Dutch theatre company - Close Act - are performing their fantastical White Wings show with amazing costumed characters seeming to float over the heads of the shoppers! A packed weekend at Derby  Festé which certainly deserves to be supported.

Thoughts around Richard the Third.

Following the recent finding of the remains of King Richard the Third beneath a car park in Leicester I thought I would look back on a production of Shakespeare's 'Richard III' that I was involved in 2008. It was directed by Cynthia Marsh for The Lace Market Theatre in Nottingham and Richard was played by Chris Ireson. Although still of some playing length the play was cut and the dress code a mix of modern and Elizabethan styles. It also played in repertoire with a play called Terrorism by The Presnyakov Brothers with a translation bySasha Dugdale and this was directed by Martin Berry.

The links were the emotion of fear and the chaos and friction that irrational and real fear cause. Some of the cast in Richard III were also in Terrorism. I was not so brave to commit myself to both plays in one week and quite content to gets to grips with the Shakespeare, thank ye all the same.

 

 

The casting for Richard III was for over fifteen actors who often played multiple roles: I, for example; played Derby (Lord Stanley), a gentleman, a citizen, Rivers (brother of Elizabeth; Lord Mayor, Tyrell, Surrey and, to add contrast a bit of humour, a very camp Bishop of Ely.

One young man, new to the theatre and never seen again afterwards, played Grey, Lovell, a guard and one of the murderers and decided that, unfortunately, due to a vigorous bought of projectile vomiting, he couldn't make our last performance on the Saturday matinée. His mother phoned in just one hour before we were due to 'go up' (start the matinée performance) and so the rest of the cast frantically busied around sharing his roles between them. Thankfully his woeful acting skills weren't up to much and he had very few lines, therefore we were able adjust and to get by without him. I think it leant to a much more pacey show! There was certainly a sword sharp edge to the performances that afternoon. We told some friends who had been to see the show and they said they couldn't tell that we had an actor down. There's no business like show business as they say.

To paraphrase Cynthia, the director, she felt that the two plays presented during this exciting week were disparate; one late 16^th Century, one 20^th Century; one presenting a violent King the other presenting modern day violence in all its forms. She said that 'Richard the Third propagandised the founding of the House of Tudor to Elizabethan England beset by its own succession worries. Terrorism locates violence and bullying in the routines of contemporary life: travel, sex, work, gossipping and the banter of the changing room.' Source: programme notes.

Interestingly, the very unusual fact that we had two plays running together during our week long run echoed an almost bygone age of repertory theatre and like our Richard III actors playing several roles, seemingly effortlessly, (historically, known as the sweating lords for very good reason as, like us, they ripped off one costume and donned another set of clothes and identity) they would also have played several parts in Rep. Given the massive amount of Shakespearean text our Richard and the cast had to learn and perform this was no mean feat!

Some interesting things about the play Richard III generally.

• Shakespeare's main source for the play was the historian Raphael Hollinshed and Shakespeare's (strongly Tudor influenced) portrait of Richard took a great deal from Sir Thomas More's work, History of King Richard the Third.

• The ruthless ambition and semi satanic moral code given by Shakespeare to Richard were intended to make the usurpation of Henry VII (grandfather of Queen Elizabeth) seem necessary. Remember that Shakespeare's company needed the financial and royal support of the Queen to exist. The plays written could not afford to be seen as anti Queen Elizabeth or of her line. Heads would roll!

• Some modern day defenders of Richard (the man) believe that Shakespeare's portrayal of him as Richard Gloucester and King Richard in the play are unfair. Alas the play's popularity and continual success in the theatre and in film continues to convince people that he was evil, manipulating and violent.

• Richard III shows off some of Shakespeare's early formal verse at its best. The extraordinary scene where Richard woos the ultra reluctant Anne (act 1 scene II ) gains many of its effects by means of its clever use of parallel, quasi sing song constructions. “Was ever woman in this humour woo'd? Was ever woman in this humour won?” Despite initially hating him, Anne is won over by his pleas of love and repentance and agrees to marry him. When she leaves, Richard exults in having won her over despite all he has done to her, and tells the audience that he will discard her once she has served her purpose. Nice guy! Poor gal!

• Other courtly women in the play hate the manipulating king more and more as he plots the murders of children and adults alike on his rise to corruption and power. The distraught Queen Margaret exemplifies this point in her famous speech lamenting the existence of King Richard and his terrible deeds: we join the speech at it's climax here:

Queen Margaret: ... No sleep close up that deadly eye of thine, unless it be while some tormenting dream fright's thee with a hell of ugly devils! Thou elvish-marked, abortive, rooting hog! Thou that was sealed in thy nativity the slave of nature and the son of hell! Thou slander of thy heavy mother's womb! Thou loathed issue of thy father's loins! Thou detested...

Richard: Margaret.

Queen Margaret: Richard!!

• In the play, Clarence dies after Richard is named Protector (how ironic!): in reality, Clarence died five years beforehand. Here and elsewhere William Shakespeare the playwright took historical liberties to dramatically construct his play.

Famous critics have said:

“Crimes are Richard's delights but Macbeth is always in agony when he thinks of them” (Thomas Whately)

“The hump... the conscience, the fear of ghosts, all impart a spice of outragousness which leaves nothing lacking to the fun of the entertainment, except the solemnity of those spectators that feel bound to take the affair as a profound and subtle historic play.” (George |Bernard Shaw)

“There is another peculiarity of the present drama which ought to be mentioned – the frequent use of the curse, it is a terrific weapon and is employed here with terrific violence. (Denton J Snider).

My recommendations in books and films:

Year of the King by Anthony Sher: I read this back in the 1980s and it is a very accessible record of Anthony Sher's acceptance of the role of King Richard for the RSC and Barbican and his journey as an actor to discover another way of portraying the crippled king with the ghost of Laurence Oliver's well known depiction of Richard III on his heels. This terrific book is also illustrated with Sher's wonderful sketches and drawings. Highly recommended.


                                                                    

Richard III: The 1996 film with Sir Ian McKellan playing the title role is set in Britain in the 1930s and offers yet another slant on duplicitous evil. In this version civil war has erupted with the House of Lancaster on one side, claiming the right to the British throne and hoping to bring freedom to the country. Opposing is the House of York, commanded by the infamous Richard who rules over a fascist government and hopes to install himself as a dictator monarch. The film is severely edited for text but gives a very clear depiction to Richard's rise to power and his downfall through violent means. I would encourage anyone to watch this as a lesson in film acting and as an encouragement to delve further into the play itself.


                                                                     

Looking for Richard starring Al Pacino: A documentary style film about Al Pacino's quest to find the inspiration to play the role of King Richard III.

                                                                            

Lace Market Theatre production photographs by Mark James. Copyright.

First post of my second blog

I already have another blog at http://mugofstrongtea.blogspot.com/ which features my passions for food and drink and currently has over fifteen thousand hits since January this year. I have occasionally referred to my life in the theatre and have decided to start this seperate blog to let people know more of my creative life. I welcome any constuctive comments. Phil Lowe.

LMT refers to Nottingham's Lace Market Theatre.

Theatre/film and tv listings to date.

November 2009. Kim. Festen. LMT

October 2009. German language tutor. Kindertransport. LMT

September 2009. Laurence Moss. Abigail’s Party. LMT.

December 2008. A Christmas Carol. Phil Lowe Writer/adaptation for stage. LMT.

June 2008. Both Sides Now. Phil Lowe Writer/director. Short theatre pieces festival. LMT.

May 2008 The School for Scandal. Richard Brinsley Sheridan. Mr Snake. LMT.

February 2008. Richard the Third. Shakespeare. Derby. Bishop. Cardinal. Soldier. LMT.

September 2007. Charley’s Aunt. Brandon Thomas. Brassett. LMT

January 2007. Frozen. Bryony Lavery. Ralph. LMT

April 2006. Anna Karenina. Tolstoy adaptation by Helen Edmundson. Levin. LMT.

November 2005. The Diary of Anne Frank. Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett. Mr Kraler. Nottingham Arts.

June 2005. An Inspector Calls. J. B. Priestly. Ensemble. National Theatre tour. Theatre Royal Nottingham.

April 2005. The Crucible. Arthur Miller. Governor Danforth. Nottingham Arts.

September 2004. Play it Again Sam. Woody Allen. Alan Felix. LMT.

April 2004. A View From The Bridge. Arthur Miller. Immigration Officer. Jacobus Theatre Karlsruhe.

March 2004. A View From The Bridge. Arthur Miller. Immigration Officer. LMT.

October 2003. A Bright and Bold Design. Peter Whelan. Ulik. LMT.

December 2002. A Christmas Carol. Dickens. Devisor of one-man show/performer. LMT.

March 2001. A Doll’s House. Henrick Ibsen. Nils Krogstad. LMT.

December 2000. A Christmas Carol. Dickens. Devisor of one-man show/performer. Gotham, St Lawrence’s Church.

December 1999. A Christmas Carol. Dickens. Devisor of one-man show/performer. Gotham, St Lawrence’s Church.

Between 1991 and 2001 I also worked as a Equity professional supporting artist in Crossroads (ITV) Peak Practice (ITV) Boon (BBC), Signs and Wonders (BBC) Barbara (ITV) Doctors (BBC) video work for the OU, training film with East Midlands Arts (main lead male), US funded John Lennon film as doctor.

Performance Arts student writing and performing projects included (*). Also between 1989 and 1991 I would have been involved in a variety of performance pieces live and film as part of my degree. The (*) marked items are the main ones and usually involved considerable creative input.

September 1999. Dead Funny. Terry Johnson. Nick. LMT.

October 1993. Poppy. Peter Nichols. Emperor of China. LMT.

January 1993. A Chip in the Sugar. Alan Bennett. Director. LMT.

November 1992. Comedians. Trevor Griffiths. Gethin Price. LMT.

November 1990. The Dresser. Ronald Harwood. Norman. Averham Theatre. Notts.

June 1990. Les Misérables. Christina Reid. Ensemble. Nottingham Playhouse.

* 1991. Film project with Inter-media, Nottingham. Paid, post – graduate work. Actor.

* 1991 Co-creator and MC in The Life of Nellie Wallace. Nottingham Powerhouse theatre and LMT (hire).

* 1991 Writer/creator/director in ‘Apollinaire’. Nottingham Powerhouse theatre.

* 1991 Writer/performer with Emma Ghafur in EXPO festival of theatre and arts. Nottingham venues. (various)

* 1990-1 Performance Poet: Nottingham venues. (various)

* 1990 Writer/ co-creator/performer. “Home” performance piece about the plight of the homeless. Various Nottingham venues.

* 1990 Writer/ co-creator/performer. “Friend or Foe” performance piece about flat-sharing experiences. Powerhouse. Clifton Campus

* 1989 Writer/ performer in ‘Taming a Cloud of Butterflies’ Nottingham Powerhouse theatre.

* 1989. Beowulf. Devised by ensemble and Joe Robinson from classic Penguin text. Beowulf. College Street Arts. Nottingham Arts Festival.

Prior to moving to Nottingham from Derby I gained theatre experience by working with Derby Theatre In The Round, The Derby Shakespeare Company and the Littleover Players. I was also occasionally involved with a couple of amateur Opera companies in and around Derby although I certainly wouldn’t claim to be a singer! To my knowledge I don’t have specific months for performance dates. The DTITR performances were mainly in the small ‘black box’ studio venue at Derby Playhouse.

Derby Theatre In The Round 1980 – 1988

The Crucible. Arthur Miller. Ezekiel Cheever. Derby Playhouse Studio.

Breezeblock Park. Willy Russell. Nick. Derby Playhouse Studio.

Doctor Faustus. Philip Marlowe. Wagner. Derby Playhouse Studio.

Fools. Neil Simon. Snetsky. Derby Playhouse Studio

Saturday Sunday Monday. Eduardo de Filippo. Atillio. Derby Playhouse Studio

The Body. Nick Darke. American soldier. Derby Playhouse Studio

One Flew over a Cuckoo’s Nest. Dale Wasserman. Aide Turkle Derby Playhouse Studio

Andorra. Max Frisch. The Journeyman. Derby Playhouse Studio

The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew. Robert Bolt. Obidiah Bobbleknob. Derby Playhouse Studio

In Camera. Jean-Paul Satre. Valet Derby Playhouse Studio

The Bald Prima Donna. Eugene Inonesco. Mr Martin Derby Playhouse Studio

Cabaret. Kander & Ebb. Ensemble. The Guildhall. Derby.

She Stoops to Conquer. Oliver Goldsmith. Roger Derby Playhouse Studio

The Lark. Jean Anouih. Ensemble. Derby Playhouse Studio

Of Cabbages and Kings. Co-writer and ensemble. Derby Playhouse Studio

The Philanthropist. Christopher Hampton. John. Derby Playhouse Studio

Beckett. Jean Anouilh. Ensemble. Derby Playhouse Studio

The Dresser. Ronald Harwood. Shakespearian actor. Derby Playhouse Studio

The Rose and The Ring. William Makepeace Thackery. Co-writer/performer. Derby Playhouse Studio

84 Charing Cross Road. James Roose Evans. Bill. Derby Playhouse Studio

When the Wind Blows. Raymond Briggs. Director. Catholic Club Derby.

Also played parts in annual Music Hall that we performed for the Catholic Club (rehearsal venue).

Derby Shakespeare Company. 1979 - 1988

A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Shakespeare. Puck. Guildhall Derby.

Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare. Ensemble. Guildhall Derby.

A Winter’s Tale. Shakespeare. Clown. Guildhall Derby.

Central Operatic Company.

Salad Days Julian Slade. Troppo. Guildhall Derby.

Derby Opera Company

Cabaret. Kander and Ebb. Chorus/Ensemble. Derby Playhouse Main Stage.

Derby Colleges Musical Society.

Orpheus and the Underworld. Offenbach. Chorus. Derby College.

The Littleover Players. 1977 – 1980

In Sickness and In Health. Co-writer and performer. Revue. Littleover School.

Dry Rot. John Chapman. Flash Harry. Littleover School.

Full Treatment. Michael Brett. Wallcott-Brown. BBC reporter. Littleover School.

Sleeping Beauty. Linda Nelson. Fairy Goodanov. Littleover School.

The Emperor’s New Clothes. Linda Nelson.  Comedy dancer. Littleover School.